paNOW - Dropping the MittsPrince Albert. RIGHT NOW!https://panow.com/
enFri, 15 Jan 2016 17:17:10 -0600Fri, 15 Jan 2016 17:17:10 -0600How Raiders have dealt with key injuries surprisingly wellhttps://panow.com/column/551117/how-raiders-have-dealt-key-injuries-surprisingly-well
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>The Prince Albert Raiders haven’t had their original top forward line of Reid Gardiner, Simon Stransky and Austin Glover together since Dec. 8.</p>
<p>And it will be some time yet before you’ll see them reunited, as Glover will be out for the near future with an upper-body injury. Stransky missed time with the Raiders to represent the Czech Republic at the World Juniors.</p>
<p>Considering just how reliant the Raiders were on their top line to score at the beginning of the season, it was interesting to see how the Raiders would perform without them.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/551117/how-raiders-have-dealt-key-injuries-surprisingly-well">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea551117Fri, 15 Jan 2016 17:17:10 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsDrew and D’Andrea debate on the Campese situationhttps://panow.com/column/514764/drew-and-d-andrea-debate-campese-situation
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>The Prince Albert Raiders announced on Friday that Bruno Campese turned down an offer to return to the team citing family reasons. On April 21 when head coach Marc Habscheid was signed to the Raiders, Campese made it public that his father-in-law had recently passed away.</p>
<p>Now that the Raiders will have to hire a new general manager despite having already secured contracts for the rest of their hockey operation staff.</p>
<p>That has sparked a debate in the paNOW.com newsroom, about whether or not this could be viewed as an issue with the Raiders moving forward.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/514764/drew-and-d-andrea-debate-campese-situation">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea514764Fri, 15 May 2015 17:31:17 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsLosing Schmidli will be a big blow next season https://panow.com/column/508299/losing-schmidli-will-be-big-blow-next-season
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>It was made public on Wednesday that Swiss import forward Kris Schmidli signed with the GCK Lions, farm team for the Zurich-based ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League.</p>
<p>Raiders general manager Bruno Campese looked at the positives and believes he can get a good replacement at this year’s CHL Import Draft, referencing the team’s recent success at drafting European forwards (Leon Draisaitl and Simon Stransky as examples).</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/508299/losing-schmidli-will-be-big-blow-next-season">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea508299Sat, 04 Apr 2015 15:50:13 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsWhy Habscheid, Campese and company need to return next seasonhttps://panow.com/column/506402/why-habscheid-campese-and-company-need-return-next-season
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>When Sawyer Lange graduated from the WHL after Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Regina Pats, he ended a storied four-year career with the Prince Albert Raiders.</p>
<p>But in Lange’s four years with the same team, he played under four different head coaches—four.</p>
<p>Bruno Campese started 2011-2012 season as the head coach, but relinquished those duties to Steve Young in Nov. 2011. Then Cory Clouston was brought in for the 2013-2014 season and was fired this Halloween before being replaced by Marc Habscheid on Nov. 1.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/506402/why-habscheid-campese-and-company-need-return-next-season">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea506402Thu, 26 Mar 2015 11:47:51 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsDraisaitl stays with Oilers; what that means to Raidershttps://panow.com/column/481368/draisaitl-stays-oilers-what-means-raiders
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Leon Draisaitl will remain as the second-line centre of the Edmonton Oilers as he’s preparing to play his 10th game with the team. That’s some great news for him and the Oil, but not so much for the Prince Albert Raiders.</p>
<p>Because boy howdy could the Raiders ever use him and his offensive punch.</p>
<p>Even after Tuesday’s 5-0 win on the road over the Kootenay Ice, the Raiders are still only scoring 2.71 goals per game, ranking 18th out of the 22 Western Hockey League teams in that department.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/481368/draisaitl-stays-oilers-what-means-raiders">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea481368Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:40:32 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsEven strength, more like even weakness for Raiders https://panow.com/column/478710/even-strength-more-even-weakness-raiders
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>After starting the year off with a two-game sweep over the Saskatoon Blades, the Prince Albert Raiders have stumbled into a quagmire. They’ve lost all of their last four games and are 1-5 in their last six games.</p>
<p>The biggest reason for that is their trouble scoring even-strength (ES) goals. In their opening week sweep over the Saskatoon Blades, the Raiders outscored the Blades 7-3 in ES situations.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/478710/even-strength-more-even-weakness-raiders">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea478710Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:08:17 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsWhy the Raiders need a new building to survivehttps://panow.com/column/477967/why-raiders-need-new-building-survive
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>If the Prince Albert Raiders want to keep playing games in the Western Hockey League, they’ll need a new building in the not-too-distant future.</p>
<p>The timeline for a new building is getting shorter, especially after the Raiders <a href="http://panow.com/node/475514" target="_blank">lost $262,680</a> last year alone and have seen their operating deficit fall dangerously low to $394,819.</p>
<p>Raiders treasurer Brent Stademan estimated the team’s lifespan would be four to five years, considerably less if they keep posting significant losses like they did last year. </p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/477967/why-raiders-need-new-building-survive">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea477967Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:02:02 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsFive Raiders prospects you should be excited abouthttps://panow.com/column/470026/five-raiders-prospects-you-should-be-excited-about
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>The Prince Albert Raiders preseason is officially underway, as the Raiders dropped their opener 2-1 in a shootout to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.</p>
<p>There will be plenty of time before the Sept. 19 home opener against the Saskatoon Blades, so here are five players in their first Raiders’ preseason that you should get fired up about.</p>
<p><strong>Hunter Warner, D, 19</strong></p>
<p>6’3, 190 pounds, Eden Prairie, Minn.<br />
Previous team, Fargo Force (USHL)<br />
2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, 125 penalty minutes in 43 games</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/470026/five-raiders-prospects-you-should-be-excited-about">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea470026Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:50:28 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsSetting you up for the Raiders’ 2014-2015 seasonhttps://panow.com/column/468170/setting-you-raiders-2014-2015-season
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Starting on Friday, WHL hockey will finally be back in town as the Prince Albert Raiders begin their training camp. Rookie camp starts on Friday, main camp begins on Sunday and the annual intrasquad game will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m.</p>
<p>Now that training camp is just a few days away, what’s a better time than now to look at the biggest stories surrounding the Raiders heading into the season?<br />
Hanging on to Leon?</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/468170/setting-you-raiders-2014-2015-season">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea468170Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:17:11 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsIf the CHL is unionized, small market teams like the Raiders are doomedhttps://panow.com/column/464669/if-chl-unionized-small-market-teams-raiders-are-doomed
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Unifor, Canada’s biggest private sector union which represents 300,000 workers in several industries, <a href="http:// http://www.tsn.ca/chl/story/?id=458077" target="_blank">is looking to unionize the CHL.</a></p>
<p>If they’re successful, it could mean the beginning of the end for the Prince Albert Raiders—as well as many other small market teams in the all three of CHL’s leagues, the WHL, the OHL and the QMJHL.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/464669/if-chl-unionized-small-market-teams-raiders-are-doomed">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea464669Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:52:19 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsWill Draisaitl return to the Raiders? Don’t count on ithttps://panow.com/column/459872/will-draisaitl-return-raiders-don-t-count-it
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>The two biggest questions that are hanging over the Prince Albert Raiders this offseason season are: will Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey return for one more season?</p>
<p>The Edmonton Oilers may have answered the first question this weekend.</p>
<p>They drafted Leon Draisaitl with the third overall pick in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft and Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish left little doubt what his team’s intentions are the German playmaker.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/459872/will-draisaitl-return-raiders-don-t-count-it">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea459872Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:22:16 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsWill Draisaitl be an Oiler? The experts think sohttps://panow.com/column/458887/will-draisaitl-be-oiler-experts-think-so
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Prince Albert Raiders’ Leon Draisaitl is in Philadelphia, wondering which NHL team will take him Friday at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia, Pa.</p>
<p>According to the draft experts, there is a very good chance Draisaitl would land in Edmonton and be the newest Oilers pick.</p>
<p>TSN’s hockey talent scout Craig Button, Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino, Guy Flaming of the Pipeline Show, SB Nation, USA Today’s Kevin Allen and Yahoo’s Live Mock Draft all are predicting that Draisaitl will be presented with a navy and copper jersey on draft day.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/458887/will-draisaitl-be-oiler-experts-think-so">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea458887Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:11:56 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsGreat deal for all three players in PA-PG tradehttps://panow.com/column/454110/great-deal-all-three-players-pa-pg-trade
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Monday’s trade between the two princes of the WHL is a positive move for both teams and all three players involved. <a href="http://panow.com/node/453809">In case you missed it,</a> the Prince Albert Raiders acquired 19-year-old forward Jordan Tkatch from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for 20-year-old Chance Braid and 18-year-old Lance Yaremchuk. </p>
<p>Here’s a breakdown of all three parts of the trade.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>To Prince Albert</h3>
<p><strong>Jordan Tkatch, C</strong></p>
<p><em>How this helps Tkatch:</em></p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/454110/great-deal-all-three-players-pa-pg-trade">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea454110Tue, 03 Jun 2014 21:06:53 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsOil Kings have dug deeper in drafts than the Raiders—way deeperhttps://panow.com/column/452713/oil-kings-have-dug-deeper-drafts-raiders-way-deeper
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p><strong>paNOW Staff</strong>
</p><p>
The Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings were once in exactly the same position.</p>
<p>A year after they finished two points apart, the Raiders and Oil Kings were forced to play a tiebreaker to determine final playoff spot after they both finished with 67 points in the 2008-2009 season.</p>
<p>Even that tiebreaker game itself was close. The Oil Kings squeaked by with a 2-1 overtime decision back on March 17, 2009, with Rhett Rachinski scoring 8:54 into the first overtime.</p>
<p>But oh, how things have changed since.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/452713/oil-kings-have-dug-deeper-drafts-raiders-way-deeper">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea452713Tue, 27 May 2014 19:25:04 -0600paNOW - Dropping the MittsPreds and star Tilford off to great start in PGLLhttps://panow.com/column/449834/preds-and-star-tilford-great-start-pgll
<p><strong>By Jeff D'Andrea</strong></p>
<p>Prince Albert Predators’ Tyler Tilford is one of the best attacking forwards in the Prairie Junior Lacrosse League—but you’d never hear that from him.</p>
<p>Even after he rattled off three goals by himself in the final six minutes to give the Prince Albert Predators a thrilling 18-17 win over the Saskatoon Smash Saturday, Tilford quickly deflected all the credit to all of his teammates.</p>
<p>...</p>
<a href="https://panow.com/column/449834/preds-and-star-tilford-great-start-pgll">Read More</a>Jeff D'Andrea449834Tue, 13 May 2014 07:30:43 -0600paNOW - Dropping the Mitts